On the Cover

A Smith International employee aboard a drilling platform in the North Sea.

JPT Online is supported
in part through a
generous contribution
from Marathon Corporation

Cover and Table of Contents

SPECIAL FEATURES

Guest Editorial • Oil and Gas Industry Leaders Target a Serious Problem That Affects Us All—Driving-Related Events

Derek Tate, Global Driving Manager for Schlumberger Oilfield Services, on what the industry can do to improve land transport safety.

Management • The Evolution of Outsourcing and Insourcing in Oil and Gas Accounting

With fluctuating oil prices, the oil and gas industry is constantly looking for ways to reduce costs. Several companies outsourced their accounting operations in the mid-1990s, write Gary A. Adams of Deloitte & Touche and Sam Youdalof Deloitte Consulting, but now many are rethinking their decision to take this plunge.

SPE/IADC Drilling Conference Preview

A first look at the 2008 SPE/IADC Drilling Conference, to be held 4–6 March in Orlando, Florida.

Distinguished Author Series • Listening to the Reservoir—Interpreting Data From Permanent Downhole Gauges

Permanent downhole gauges provide an abundance of reservoir-property data. Now we need methods and algorithms to manage and interpret those data. Progress is promising.

New Program Honors Top Technical Paper Reviewers

To recognize those who have contributed their time and expertise to the peer review of 100 or more papers, SPE has created "A Peer Apart."

Technical Editor Awards

Every year, SPE recognizes technical editors who have made an exceptional effort to ensure the technical excellence of the society’s journals.

Bit Technology and Bottomhole Assemblies

View articles in this section

Overview

Graham Mensa-Wilmot, SPE, Drilling Engineering Advisor, Chevron

Optimization of Deep-Drilling Performance

This article, written by Assistant Technology Editor Karen Bybee, contains highlights of paper SPE 105885, "Optimization of Deep-Drilling Performance:Benchmark Testing Drives ROP Improvements for Bits and Drilling Fluids," by Arnis Judzis, SPE, TerraTek; Ronald G. Bland, SPE, Baker Hughes; David A. Curry, SPE, Hughes Christensen; Alan D. Black, SPE, and Homer A. Robertson, SPE, TerraTek; Mathew J. Meiners, SPE, Hughes Christensen; and Timothy C. Grant, US DOE, prepared for the 2007 SPE/IADC Drilling Conference, Amsterdam, 20–22 February.

A Bit-Based Data-Acquisition System for Hard-Rock PDC Applications

This article, written by Assistant Technology Editor Karen Bybee, contains highlights of paper SPE 105017, "Development and Utilization of a Bit-Based Data-Acquisition System in Hard-Rock PDC Applications," by Paul Pastusek, SPE, Eric Sullivan, and Tommy Harris, SPE, Hughes Christensen Co., prepared for the 2007 SPE/IADC Drilling Conference, Amsterdam, 20–22 February.

A ROP-Management Process in Qatar North Field

This article, written by Assistant Technology Editor Karen Bybee, contains highlights of paper SPE 105521, "Implementation of ROP-Management Process in Qatar North Field," by S.M. Remmert, SPE, and J.W. Witt, SPE, RasGas Co. Ltd., and F.E. Dupriest, SPE, ExxonMobil Development Co., prepared for the 2007 SPE/IADC Drilling Conference, Amsterdam, 20–22 February.

Production/Facilities

View articles in this section

Overview

Simon Richards, Principal Consultant, EPConsult

Heavy-Crude-Oil Upgrading With Transition Metals

This article, written by Assistant Technology Editor Karen Bybee, contains highlights of paper SPE 107837, "Heavy-Crude-Oil Upgrading With Transition Metals," by H.R. Nares, P. Schacht-Hernández, M.A. Ramírez-Garnica, and M.C. Cabrera-Reyes, Inst. Mexicano del Petróleo, and L. Noé-Valencia, U. La Salle, México, prepared for the 2007 SPE Latin American and Caribbean Petroleum Engineering Conference, Buenos Aires, 15–18 April.

A Heavy- to Light-Crude-Oil Upgrading Process

This article, written by Assistant Technology Editor Karen Bybee, contains highlights of paper SPE 108678, "Performance of a Heavy- to Light-Crude-Oil Upgrading Process," by E.J. Veith, Ivanhoe Energy, prepared for the 2007 SPE International Oil Conference and Exhibition in Mexico, Veracruz, Mexico, 27–30 June.

A Case Study in Wax Removal From a Subsea Flowline

This article, written by Assistant Technology Editor Karen Bybee, contains highlights of paper SPE 105048, "A Case Study in the Removal of Deposited Wax From a Major Subsea Flowline System in the Gannet Field," by H.A. Craddock, SPE, K. Mutch, and K. Sowerby, Roemex Ltd., and S. McGregor, J. Cook, and C. Strachan, Shell UK Ltd., prepared for the 2007 SPE International Symposium on Oilfield Chemistry, Houston, 28 February–2 March.

Reserves/Asset Management

View articles in this section

Overview

Dean Rietz, SPE, Managing Senior Vice President, Ryder Scott Company

Integrated Project Management for Hydrocarbon-Portfolio Analysis and Optimization

This article, written by Technology Editor Dennis Denney, contains highlights of paper SPE 100967, "Applying Integrated Project-Management Methodology to Hydrocarbon-Portfolio Analysis and Optimization," by Sholarin E. Adekunle, Curtin University of Technology, prepared for the 2006 SPE International Oil & Gas Conference and Exhibition in China, Beijing, 5–7 December.

Validating the Use of Experimental-Design Techniques in Exploratory Evaluations

This article, written by Technology Editor Dennis Denney, contains highlights of paper SPE 107441, "Validating the Use of Experimental-Design Techniques in Exploratory Evaluations," by T. Amorim, SPE, and B. Moczydlower, SPE, Petrobras, prepared for the 2007 SPE Latin American and Caribbean Petroleum Engineering Conference, Buenos Aires, 15–18 April.

Reserves and Resources Classification, Definitions, and Guidelines: Defining the Standard!

This article, written by Technology Editor Dennis Denney, contains highlights of paper SPE 107693, "The 2007 SPE/AAPG/WPC/SPEE Reserves and Resources Classification, Definitions, and Guidelines: Defining the Standard!," by John R. Etherington, SPE, PRA International, and John E. Ritter, SPE, Occidental Petroleum, prepared for the 2007 SPE Hydrocarbon Economics and Evaluation Symposium, Dallas, 1–3 April.

Knowledge Management and Training

View articles in this section

Overview

Ivor Ellul, SPE, President,Knowledge Reservoir

Technology Integration in the Caspian

This article, written by Technology Editor Dennis Denney, contains highlights of paper SPE 106858, "Technology Integration in the Caspian," by Ian Pannett and David Hodgson, BP plc, prepared for the 2007 SPE Digital Energy Conference and Exhibition, Houston, 11– 12 April.

Knowledge Management for Shared Earth Modeling

This article, written by Technology Editor Dennis Denney, contains highlights of paper SPE 107152, "Knowledge Management for Shared Earth Modeling," by Laura Mastella, École des Mines de Paris and Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul; Michel Perrin, École des Mines de Paris; Mara Abel, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul; and Jean-François Rainaud and Walid Touar, Institut Français du Pétrole, prepared for the 2007 SPE Europec Annual Conference and Exhibition, London, 11–14 June.

Subsea-Data Management

This article, written by Technology Editor Dennis Denney, contains highlights of paper OTC 18744, "Subsea-Data Management," by Brian Drakeley, SPE, Weatherford International, Svein Omdal, SPE, Statoil, and Sigurd Moe, SPE, FMC Technologies, prepared for the 2007 Offshore Technology Conference, Houston, 30 April–3 May. Copyright 2007 Offshore Technology Conference. Reproduced by permission.